Northern Wilds Magazine changes ownership after 20 years

After 20 years, Northern Wilds Magazine, based in Grand Marais has changed ownership hands.

The large-format magazine focuses on capturing the voices, lifestyle, culture, and outdoor experiences of the North Shore region, spanning from Duluth to Thunder Bay, Ontario.

In 2004, owners Amber (Pratt) Graham and Shawn Perich launched the magazine with a vision to serve the community, highlight the region, and showcase its recreational opportunities and interesting people.

“I really enjoyed developing the publication with Shawn and coming up with new ideas and new ways of promoting the area,” Graham said. “I really think it’s such a beautiful area with some amazing people.”

Over the past two decades, Graham and Perich have shaped Northern Wilds into the publication it is today with the help of its contributors, advertisers, and staff.

In recent years, the business has experienced numerous changes, including the closing of the print shop in October 2022 and the loss of Northern Wilds co-owner Perich in August 2023. Despite the changes, Graham remained committed to the Northern Wilds publication.

Nei-Turner Media Group owns or manages 24 publications throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest region. The publications include At The Lake, BRAVA Magazine, Chicago Style Weddings, Experience Wisconsin, Lakeshore Living Lake Geneva, and more.

Barb Krause, the publisher for Nei-Turner Media Group, said Northern Wilds will be their first publication in Minnesota and its first monthly publication.

“We saw Northern Wilds and thought that might be a great fit for us,” said Krause. “It was just perfect for us in terms of the region, in terms of the type of demographics that Northern Wilds serves.”

Since the official sale in September, Graham has remained available for the Nei-Turner Media Group in an advisory capacity. This winter, she said, she will be taking some time off and reassessing what comes next. While she did sell the Northern Wilds business, Graham said she still retains ownership of the Northern Wilds building.

Despite the change in ownership, Graham and Krause said the staff will remain the same, and the Nei-Turner Media Group will support and manage the publication remotely for the immediate future.

“It’ll definitely be a team effort,” Krause said. “I’m excited to make the publication self-sufficient with the employees we have in Minnesota. Continue to enhance the quality of the publication (and) the distribution plan; just continue to make it better, make it more compelling. It’s already a great publication.”

As Graham steps away from her two-decade-long business, she said she is most proud of how the publication has grown and changed and the overall “love of the community for the publication.”

“I’d really like to thank the area from Thunder Bay to Duluth and especially the North Shore for allowing us into your homes and to being a part of your month. It’s been an honor to serve the community in this capacity,” Graham said.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Northern Wilds’ former owner, Amber (Pratt) Graham, and the new owner, Nei-Turner Media Group publisher Barb Krause, about the change in ownership, the legacy of Shawn Perich, the next steps, and more. The audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins December 4, 2024